Stevenage – A 33-year-old health food–business ownerfrom Stevenage is a finalist in PETA’s annual contest to find the best vegan baker in the UK. After much consideration – and drooling over the delectable baked goods – PETA has selected Jo Hodson, whose Chocolate Banana Bread wowed PETA’s judges, as one of the 12 finalists. Now, the public will help PETA decide who should be crowned the 2016 Great Vegan Bake-Off champion.

A photo of Hodson’s creation is available here. Photos of the other finalists and their creations can be found here.

“We were so inundated with terrific cruelty-free dishes that it was almost impossible to narrow the entries down to just 12 finalists”, says PETA’s Elisa Allen. “Jo Hodson is already a winner in our eyes because she has shown that vegan baking is a piece of (egg- and dairy-free) cake!”

Eggs and dairy foods – which are high in cholesterol and saturated fat – are two of the main culprits in the UK’s obesity epidemic, which is linked to many of the country’s top killers, including heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and cancer. Not only are plant-based meals better for our health and the planet – since livestock farming is one of the biggest contributors to climate change – they also spare millions of animals the horrors of factory farms every year.

Voting is open to the public from today until 10 October. PETA will choose the winner based on several factors, including vote count, and will announce the results by 14 October. See the full contest details here.

Hodson is available for interviews. Please contact PETA to arrange one. For more information and to vote in the contest, please visit PETA.org.uk.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Foundation—a charitable company limited by guarantee, with its registered office at 125 London Wall, London, EC2Y 5AS. Registered in England and Wales as charity number 1056453, company number 3135903.